Al-Chemists

Still they try to find it,
the secret of eternal youth,
searching out lotions and restorers
for the men with their toupees,
and the creams and fillers
for the women's made-up masks.
When that fails
the nip and tuckers,
the stretchers and smoothers
are ready to apply their trades.

Like the alchemists of old searching
for the secret of turning base metal to gold
and the source of the fountain of youth,
the new commercial al-chemists
are searching for the potions,
that will transform
the heavy leaden flesh of age
back to the bloom of its youth.

They know we’re also searching,
searching,
searching,
endlessly searching
magic and science,
as we get older
and older still.

For the fountain of youth remains elusive,
but not all the alchemists are dead.